


How did you do it?

by mishiko



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), SPECTRE (2015), Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brothers, Caring Sherlock, M/M, Not as fluffy as my usual work but I think it works here, Post Mary, Post-Movie(s), Post-Season/Series 03, Pre-Slash, Prelude of a sort to a fix-it that I haven't written yet but would love to, Q is a Holmes, a bit angsty, not quite a fix-it yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-02 16:33:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5255456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mishiko/pseuds/mishiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a question that has been nagging Q. And after the whole Spectre and Nine Eyes debacle and Bond fucking leaving, Q would really love an answer to that. </p><p>Not only has Sherlock went through a similar thing, but his whole situation actually worked out in the end so Q really hopes he has an answer for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How did you do it?

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, I've been wanting to write and finish something (or anything) for a couple of weeks now. Of course, it would take seeing the latest Bond movie to finally push my writing mode back on. I would have liked it to be fluffier but I think it actually works quite well like this... 
> 
> Also, I've been wanting to write Q as the youngest Holmes for freaking ages so YES.
> 
> It is self-beta-ed and I'm not British so any mistakes are all mine. I've started writing this just last night and got too sleepy so stopped and worked on it a little this morning and now. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it though!

“How did you do it?” The wind bites through his coat even though it isn’t December yet. The cigarette between his fingers brings little warmth even through the familiar nicotine rush.

“You’d have to be more specific little brother. And I thought you’d quit.” For someone who hates being referred to as ‘brother’, Sherlock does have a certain fondness in reminding Q that he is the youngest in the family. The hypocrite.

Ever since Q has risen to a position in MI6 which gives him a codename, he has stopped answering to his birth name. It has taken more than a few years for his brothers to yield but stubbornness seems to run in the Holmes family.

“Needs must.” Q answers the latter question before bringing the nicotine stick to his lips again. He thought he had quit for good too, not having touched the damn thing for nearly a year. However, the recent events have pushed him into taking it up again.

Bloody Double-O agents and Q’s inability to say no to them.

“How did you let Dr Watson go?” Wanting to switch back to the object of this meeting, Q clarifies his initial question. This may be the first time Q has ever requested to meet up over personal reasons.

The last time they met face to face was more than a year ago in order to stop Sherlock from being sent on a suicide mission in Eastern Europe. He has also dug up information about A.G.R.A. and helped exposed the assassin’s true position in Moriaty’s web.

The whole ordeal allowed him to meet Dr John Watson in person and Q saw for the first time, the depth of Sherlock’s feeling for the ex-army doctor. That is what made Q contacted Sherlock for a meeting today on one of London’s abandoned roof tops.

Even though Q does not share Mycroft’s views on sentiments-make-you-weak, it is getting more and more difficult not to feel cynical about it all. Q has risked his career and life for someone and all he’s got back is some banter, a bottle of champagne and an ice-bucket full of disappointment.

There is still a bitter taste in his mouth from the unstoppable hope that rose up when he saw Bond stepping out of the lift after the Spectre tribulation one last time, only for it to crash and burn when all Bond wanted was the fucking car.

The pause was long and still. Q almost thinks that Sherlock won't answer the question willingly when he feels Sherlock stepping closer.

“Because that’s better than him being dead.” A part of Q marvels at how easily Sherlock has given that answer up. Before, it would have probably taken Sherlock rounds of deduction to satisfy his needs to know every little pieces of information first before he shares his own.

Or maybe Sherlock can already tell without having to deduce why Q has asked that question. He was never good at keeping secrets from Sherlock ever since they were young, having always been closer to Sherlock, both in age and dispositions, than to their eldest brother.  

Q breathes the nicotine in one last time before dropping it on the ground and puts it out with his shoe. He lets Sherlock’s answer lingers and toys with it like he does with his latest invention.

He has entertained this thought before, especially when Bond’s self-confessed hobby is self-resurrection but it didn’t sit quite right in his head.

Still doesn’t really.

“It might be a bit odd for you since your agent does love to play dead, but trust me on this Q. Letting him go, even if it’s with someone else, is better than him being dead here.” For once, there is no snark in Sherlock’s voice.

Q isn’t surprised that Sherlock knows about the situation more than any non-high ranking MI6 personnel is privy to. If there is one thing that would get both Sherlock and Mycroft to work together, it would be about him.

And there is no way Mycroft would not be notified of Bond leaving. Not after having harassed Q after the Skyfall mission for a confirmation they didn’t really need. Q is still half convinced that the bloody meeting in an empty warehouse with his two brothers was their ways of them winding Q up.

A sigh leaves Q before he can stop it, though he suspects that Sherlock can see through him either way.

“Come over for dinner, I’d like to prove to John again that I can get along with my brother.” The invitation proves that Q is right about being transparent and Q looks at Sherlock for the first time since he got there.

His brother doesn’t look that much difference in the Belstaff coat and dark blue scarf but there is a certain softness in there that Q hasn’t seen for a long time. It’s a wonder what Dr Watson has done to his middle brother. Especially since the ex-army doctor has moved back into 221B once more after the whole fiasco with Moriaty and Mary Morstan was over. If Q’s intel is correct, and they are rarely wrong, the upstairs bedroom is still unoccupied. That is probably the reason to Sherlock’s improved dispositions.

Q considers the invitation. The thought of seeing how disgustingly domestic Sherlock has become may be too much too soon, but he does like Dr Watson’s company. The man insists every time that Q calls him by his first name, shares his fondness for tea and does not take shit from Sherlock.

“We’ll order Thai, I believe that I can persuade them to deliver that nauseatingly sweet, hot Thai milk tea you like so much.”  The crime solving duo’s usual Thai place is one of Q’s favourites and that’s the deciding vote. He can’t help but cracks a smile at Sherlock’s disdain for his taste in drinks either and receives a quirk in the corner of Sherlock’s mouth in return.

It’s comforting to know that Sherlock still knows just what to say to cheer him up.  

And at the very least, there is nothing that tea can’t make better.

    

**Author's Note:**

> Initially, I struggled to push it past the 1k mark but I really wanted to. So I kept on going back and added more... hopefully it doesn't drag on too much. 
> 
> Like I've mentioned in the tag, I see this as a sort of a prequel/prologue/prelude to a post Spectre with a happy ending I would love to write. (My brain has already tried to work out what can go where and why.) But I have a history of not following through with the writing too... Hopefully, this won't be one of those times and that I'd managed to write something fluffier because my baby Q deserves a happy ending dammit. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are much, much appreciated! Please let me know if you spot any grammatical/spelling/or any other mistakes.


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